Wait six full days for Aaron Nola to make his next start? Phillies manager Gabe Kapler would rather cheat on his diet.
So, rather than taking advantage of a day off Thursday to give Nola extra rest and have him pitch next week in Miami, Kapler decided to keep the 25-year-old ace on an every-fifth-day schedule and start him in Sunday's series finale against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park.
The move was made for several reasons, many of which Kapler outlined Wednesday, one day after Nola's latest gem in a season filled with them. For one thing, it gives Nola at least two, possibly three, additional starts at home, where he has gone 9-0 with a 1.